Where do you find out stuff like this--the REAL reasons governments get into wars?

[raccoon]

For example:

American sentiment was not to get involved (in WWI), but the Wall Street banksters (sic) were worried about their loans to England, France and Russia, and that if Germany was triumphant, they wouldn't be repaid. If I remember correctly, they sent financier Bernard Baruch to D.C. to get Wilson to declare war on Germany.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/08/17-2

Ok, I know it's not true just because somebody said it on the Internet, but to me it sounds plausible.

Anyway, my original question: where can you find out stuff like this--or do you have to dig through shelves and shelves of books?

[zipplewrath]

1. How do you find out stuff that may or may not be true?

If you don't care if it is true or not, several grocery store "newspapers" will give you plenty of them. Otherwise, it's going to take alot of reading and analysis.

The origins of WWI and our involvement in it is the basis of whole masters degrees in history. There are literally shelves of books on the subject, from both sides of the conflict. Pretty much you can find someone who has written a book explaining almost any reason you want to hear about the origins of WWI. Economics is going to figure into alot of them.

[leveymg]

2. It helps to read through shelves of books. But, if you can't wait, here's something on the subject

of the role of intelligence agencies and international banks in creating the conditions for the start of World War One.

http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00194.htm - The History of Dirty-Tricks (Part III): Who Gained From Old Europe's Self-Destruction?

[Hannah Bell]

3. yes, you have to dig & put together pieces. it's pretty clear that wall street did indeed gin up

the ww1 war fervor in the us. that's on record. one can speculate as to their motivations.

[MisterP]

4. some McCyclopedia links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nye_Committee
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_Industries_Board
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_on_Public_Information

there was also a wave of post-Bolshie (or -Luxemburgie) crackdowns 1919-21:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_red_scare
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragic_Week_(Argentina)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freikorps
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Terror_(Hungary)

[The Midway Rebel]

5. In American History...

the flag always follows the dollar.

[damntexdem]

6. Well, it's easy to find things that are untrue or likely untrue, but ...

it IS a bit hard to track down the elusive little-known fallacy. ;-)